Axe falls on career of woodchopping icon

Legendary Gympie axeman Vic Summers appears to have finally retired from competitive woodchopping at the ripe old age of 95.

Mr Summers won the first of his eight world championship tree felling titles in 1940 and if the Second World War had not intervened it is likely he would have won more.

He has retired several times since 2009 but his love of the sport has kept him competing even after becoming critically ill last year.

Coleen Blaikie says her dad has astounded doctors with his fitness regime as part of his recovery, which still includes woodchopping.

"I'm not sure how heavy the sledgehammer is but he had the solid underhand block, a lump of hard rubber across the front of it and he was waving the sledgehammer over his head, bashing it into the solid blocks doing his training and I said I didn't think that would be very good for him and he said he didn't want to know anything about it," she said.

She says he is making a good recovery from his illness and still finds time to practise his woodchopping and drive his car.

"He has still got a full driver's licence," she said.

"He doesn't go far ... he can go if he chooses into town by himself or to see his mate or ... do a few things by himself in his turbo-charged utility to the national seniors ... trying to park it in the RSL car park and all the rest of it with one eye ... it's not too bad at 95."

Mr Summers will make an appearance during the woodchopping competition at the Gympie Show but he will not be wielding an axe.